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Although Syphilitic Vaginas has produced two full-length albums in its thirteen-year history, it is probably most recognized for the much more prolific number of EPs and split recordings that it has released during that time. Five of the earliest of these recordings, along with eight previously-unreleased tracks, were first compiled and released in 2008 on CD format by Rescued from Life Records in a collection entitled “Complete Studio Recordings.” This same compilation of destructive metal punk mayhem is now hereby released for the first time on vinyl DLP format, courtesy of Nuclear War Now! Productions. These thirty-five tracks perfectly distill into a single release Syphilitic Vagina’s dedication to a blend of sleazy and decadent sinvocations that rival those of the Japanese masters that the band admires most. Achieving a rare feat of being both raw in nature and incredibly precise in execution, the riffs are catchy and memorable without losing any of their undeniable virulence. Meanwhile, the demented vocals beckon one to commit unforgivably perverse pleasures of the flesh, as the bass and drums churn away as the maelstrom at the epicenter of the storm that harnesses its fury and drives it forward. Whereas the full-length album is typically seen as the standard by which a band’s worth is measured, “Complete Studio Recordings,” as a series of snapshots in a band’s early trajectory, reminds us of the potency that can be achieved in the more focused and abbreviated format of the EP and split, but only when the artist itself is up to the task. In the case of Syphilitic Vaginas, this prerequisite is satisfied in spades.
Our take: This double LP collection brings together a bunch of the Syphilitic Vaginas’ EP recordings and is essentially a vinyl pressing of a 2008 compilation LP. If you haven’t heard Syphilitic Vaginas, their name is a good sign of where they’re coming from. G.I.S.M. is a big influence given the melodic lead guitars, raw hardcore production and presentation style, and the general sense of weirdness, but there are also big dollops of NOWBHM-influenced catchiness and Midnight-style sleaze rock and a bit of black metal gloom rounding out the sound. The mastering here sounds great, and the packaging is gorgeous, if light on information. G.I.S.M. worship is its own cottage industry these days, but these folks are at the very front of the pack.